tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89639448242928210552024-03-22T01:27:37.138-04:00Knitting at Herbie Dog DigsAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-50674349557333032182009-09-04T19:29:00.000-04:002009-09-04T19:29:25.026-04:00I love you, almost Fall!This week, we had quite the cool front come through central Ohio to conclude the final week of August. I awoke on Thursday to a balmy 46 degree weather. When taking the dogs out in the morning, Stitch (the avatar to the right) looked back at me as if to say "WTF?". Classic!<br />
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Yes, I am one of "those" people that puts sweaters on her dogs in the winter! The younger dog, Oscar, wants no part of it. He's like wrestling a wild bull just to get it on. Stitch, on the other hand, shivers in the winter - even in the house. He sits quietly as you put it on and seems to be very thankful for his sweaters as he doesn't pull or tug to try to get them off. He lets us put Halloween costumes on him as well. Very cool dog. <br />
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We also got the news that my brother-in-law's new wife gave birth to a baby girl this week! When hubby told me as I walked in from work, I promptly asked the name. He said "Daisy". Daisy? Seriously? I had a neighbor with a dog named Daisy. Pair it up with our last name, Ochoa, it didn't exactly roll off the tongue. The kids were in on it as well...Daisy? Mommy, are you sure? Who names their kid Daisy?<br />
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Well, hubby misheard - it's Casey.<br />
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So I whipped out the pink Rowan Cashcotton I recently acquired from The Cucumber Patch (you have to check this place out - link to the right), and started the sweetest little sweater. I found a free pattern on Ravelry called the Provence Baby Cardigan and it's supposed to look like this when it's done.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifETJe-jRILMh327muNH0bKqwBu_6Ihu9NBqPbeb8wlKcOIKCkO7fp8hTa32Uud8O4jiqLRVlCQ-xyrPWYQGA-4LZZ2T2z2JstakZQEyQZ1dIHMgkDaaV2D713LIE6xJBNTWVBnkz6ZmIf/s1600-h/2360652245_5bab5d1906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifETJe-jRILMh327muNH0bKqwBu_6Ihu9NBqPbeb8wlKcOIKCkO7fp8hTa32Uud8O4jiqLRVlCQ-xyrPWYQGA-4LZZ2T2z2JstakZQEyQZ1dIHMgkDaaV2D713LIE6xJBNTWVBnkz6ZmIf/s320/2360652245_5bab5d1906.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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It's been soooo long since I have knit a baby garment that it brought back fond memories of all the sweaters, soakers and booties I made for my daughter years ago. Hubby has laid down the challenge to have it in the mail by Tuesday (I'm only halfway up the back after two nights) so I have to find some serious knitting time. Will post progress photos this weekend.<br />
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Before starting the cardigan, I had to finish yet another pair of fingerless gloves! I used Adriafil Knitcol Trends sock yarn in the same colorway from the yarn giveaway in August. I just love this yarn and it knits up very bright and cheery....Will be great on those gray winter days:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEE048aTj5kvZftwXQQ7lw57-nJuSmXH2F1qb7wIHUNE_5zEeaZcgkqe-84thhUxyVfrWXi7WVGWQnuJD1pgbSLcPkUE5FqpvP9gx2RUmCzeAYfq6Tv7-webK5ETwVcaN3AGpDeGTOAM3A/s1600-h/latest+iv+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEE048aTj5kvZftwXQQ7lw57-nJuSmXH2F1qb7wIHUNE_5zEeaZcgkqe-84thhUxyVfrWXi7WVGWQnuJD1pgbSLcPkUE5FqpvP9gx2RUmCzeAYfq6Tv7-webK5ETwVcaN3AGpDeGTOAM3A/s320/latest+iv+011.jpg" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Did about two inches of 2 x 2 ribbing then a simple knit/purl pattern I found in my Vogue Stitchionary (love these books). Finish it off with about an inch of the 2 x 2. The mitts are a little snug but what I learned last year is they usually stretch a bit after a few wears.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh! Did anyone see the margarita scarf on Ravelry?!?! That is a total "me" project...immediately ordered the kit in the yarn color shown (although I gave serious consideration to the grasshopper color). Got an email today that it shipped with the tracking number...EEeee! Mail for me soon!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-77632413549640768962009-08-30T10:51:00.000-04:002009-08-30T10:51:29.247-04:00"New" was the theme of the week<div style="text-align: center;"><b>For my son: </b>A new school (middle school)</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>For me: </b> New routine (I went back to work this week)</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>For my daughter: </b>A new necklace (we went to the Jonas Brothers concert this week and she scored a Nick Jonas necklace as a souvenir - everybody scream at once!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>For my husband:</b> Solitude - for the first time in months, he had the house to himself</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>For the family:</b> Live Jonas Brothers and the Columbus Zoo!!</div><br />
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Here's my son at the petting zoo last weekend.....he's such an animal lover...you would have to be to lay on the ground with the stinky goat. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9G8DYcAzbq60M2w82g0iKxybxB0FYGbcd4C5H4koiQa01dkSjJWRNm9PLOYreU8rcfWy4LvvCW92Kj8fVGUu7yI2ctlpXfx1Fzlv6wlP91nl13-AeVfytbXVSdL6HM4REbQg-Rb1XJLwE/s1600-h/P1020801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9G8DYcAzbq60M2w82g0iKxybxB0FYGbcd4C5H4koiQa01dkSjJWRNm9PLOYreU8rcfWy4LvvCW92Kj8fVGUu7yI2ctlpXfx1Fzlv6wlP91nl13-AeVfytbXVSdL6HM4REbQg-Rb1XJLwE/s320/P1020801.JPG" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>And our view at the Jonas concert. We scored seriously great seats - floor level, ten rows back from the stage. Here's a photo of Kevin Jonas (I think) taken on our iphone to give you some perspective on how close we were. My daughter's eyes just about popped out of her head when she saw just how close her Disney channel idols were to her! And, there is nothing like going to a concert with every 14 year old teenage girl in the city of Columbus to make you really feel your age!<br />
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At one point in the show, the Jonas Brothers hose the crowd with soap bubbles. Hubby didn't duck. He got foamed. As did the dad behind him. Hysterical.<br />
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But amongst all this new, I found time for the old. <br />
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The days are already starting to cool off and it seems to have been perfectly timed to the kids going back to school. Not that this was a particularly warm summer. There were very few days over 90 degrees. Not at any point did I want to knit summer wear as I have in years past. Wasn't inspired into anything but fingerless gloves, socks, scarves, etc. I am hoping this isn't some crazy women's intuition about the upcoming winter - like I have to stock up on warm woolen items lest we freeze. My daughter feels it as well as she exclaims every morning that she can't wait to wear her winter boots - the men in the family just shake their heads.<br />
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So in preparation for the cold, this week I finished a scarf made from Jaeger Roma in a lovely fern green color. I found the pattern in the Nicky Epstein embellishment book and just added a couple garter stitches on each side. Definitely still in my "leaf" pattern mode. Made some matching fingerless mitts as well in the same yummy Roma. I'm feeling I ended the scarf a little too early, though, (was afraid I was going to run out of yarn), so I may rip back and add one more repeat of the leaf pattern.<br />
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Friday night, while watching the wonderful tribute to Ted Kennedy (was never really a fan of Teddy but can appreciate what a larger than life character he was), I cast on for Sweaterbabe's knitted cowl. I scored some RYC cashmere tweed (see previous post) last month but at only 25 grams per ball, I was limited to an accessory versus an entire sweater. Here is it on the needles. Its wonderfully soft and I'm thinking it's deserving of some matching fingerless gloves as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMBHhBnR8A9hpc84dqongeLplqlppklcJhcuk27BUEuM9QtlPf6eQU5S6Zw7KwtDdbglJxYAtmtodgBohwKzR1bs8ADYi5LWDV8ODonbQcpPT-Qsh1VO1xyRowDriU9sOpLTwm1j7_oYh/s1600-h/latest+iv+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMBHhBnR8A9hpc84dqongeLplqlppklcJhcuk27BUEuM9QtlPf6eQU5S6Zw7KwtDdbglJxYAtmtodgBohwKzR1bs8ADYi5LWDV8ODonbQcpPT-Qsh1VO1xyRowDriU9sOpLTwm1j7_oYh/s320/latest+iv+013.jpg" /></a></div>Apparently, my intuition about the impending cold only goes so far as I don't feel compelled to knit an entire glove or mitten - only fingerless....and my daughter wants to wear her winter boots with a mini skirt so I wouldn't throw away your Farmer's Almanac just yet!<br />
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Oh, before I forget, I will be posting a free pattern soon for fingerless mitts! Stay tuned!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-38555974125654964542009-08-17T15:12:00.007-04:002009-08-17T15:41:15.609-04:00The Big Pink<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJuy-47LX_PE9fVuJM4ja02STo676qb6NMEmGX_0xJAs-4CqV9sK61U7FsWWVE0dzlzrdVRIvIubo_6SLG3oaKUUoS2CKu8VrsPwOC3CmiiiDDfjJQ62Q6ZVbpDGqu0WmKlwAfQ6OeMKQo/s1600-h/P1020786.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJuy-47LX_PE9fVuJM4ja02STo676qb6NMEmGX_0xJAs-4CqV9sK61U7FsWWVE0dzlzrdVRIvIubo_6SLG3oaKUUoS2CKu8VrsPwOC3CmiiiDDfjJQ62Q6ZVbpDGqu0WmKlwAfQ6OeMKQo/s400/P1020786.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371019313907327554" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOj0Ztg2fD1u_mu3SVQTCKmtfN1lO_nB7OWEUsfLEuVnNinsOdT5__iVgOB_UB95mraurPYrXL_eZXGWoiiRP8TQfE9FAXCEtcIrepU70ozACleQkcHy3rZ8QvQz4Nt-19sspo81p7ZjV/s1600-h/P1020770.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCOj0Ztg2fD1u_mu3SVQTCKmtfN1lO_nB7OWEUsfLEuVnNinsOdT5__iVgOB_UB95mraurPYrXL_eZXGWoiiRP8TQfE9FAXCEtcIrepU70ozACleQkcHy3rZ8QvQz4Nt-19sspo81p7ZjV/s400/P1020770.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371019303330859906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVCcatas1EW0KaP35-a9ZI_qJT0XZDkYiGY9a5q8p-4KeI7tvoNIMuGKq-n-bMhdMUtZVTok3iphj-Ko1udvO8HMgwpJBPi7fj68ZqlH1UchCbMRYvzLNTQBve9b30ZHNYdWJuCNHhPXP/s1600-h/P1020769.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWVCcatas1EW0KaP35-a9ZI_qJT0XZDkYiGY9a5q8p-4KeI7tvoNIMuGKq-n-bMhdMUtZVTok3iphj-Ko1udvO8HMgwpJBPi7fj68ZqlH1UchCbMRYvzLNTQBve9b30ZHNYdWJuCNHhPXP/s400/P1020769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371019293676485266" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZsamQl8I5Z5LGnZtLJ5kg9LLfLNtS7IYyzHwQC-_NHV-z_18Buho-0baHKTXUddt-48Bni-bVrnwPDMu0x8dY2rvjChfqEvHc1mHrkdADiTyevo3BPH41fAOUOFgJUJpEVH_p-YcQswV/s1600-h/P1020786.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As promised, here are the photos of the rose-dyed yarn completed last week. I also have included a photo of the rose so you can compare the actual color of the flower versus the dyed yarn. Like the other natural dye attempts, this yarn ended up with high and low intensity of color, even with the vinegar soak before. Not minding it at all as it lends to the hand-dyed, made at home quality of it. A nice bonus is the yarn has a yummy rose-y smell to it.<br /><br />Hoping, before the first frost, we will be lucky enough to get at least eight to ten more flowers. Not holding my breath but a girl can hope, eh?<br /><br />Now, what to do with this small quantity (25 gm - approximately 100 yards) of yarn?Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-47787321661022809482009-08-17T09:29:00.003-04:002009-08-17T09:55:54.137-04:00The Yarn Experiment Continues!Hello and happy Monday! I'm still on my quest for finding natural items around the house to use as yarn dye. As luck would have it, we have a few rose bushes that were planted by the original owner of our house. Last year, the rose bushes rocked...I mean we had gorgeous light pinky-peachy roses almost weekly. This year, almost nothing. And rose bushes not in bloom have a serious case of the uglies.<br /><br />You can imagine my surprise to round the corner of the garage last week to find eight or so perfect roses on our previously barren bush. Picture perfect. <br /><br />So what did I do? Yep, chopped all their heads off! Fearing I wouldn't have enough dye color, I grabbed a few dark purple petunias, as well as some pinky-red Snapdragons (supposedly they are one of the best flowers to dye with? - Seriously, how do you dispute that?). <br /><br />I soaked my yarn (about 100 yards) in 1/2 cup of vinegar and mildly hot water (read somewhere that helps the yarn "grab" the dye) for about an hour. I made sure just to set the yarn into the hot water and not agitate it as I was using my favorite Jaegar Extra Fine Merino and feared I would felt it. After about an hour, I squeezed the excess water/vinegar out and set aside.<br /><br />I set the roses petals (removed the center), snapdragons and petunias in about three cups of water on the stove top and nearly brought it to a boil. Within 10 minutes, the flowers released all their color to the point that the petunias almost became translucent. I brought the dye off the stovetop and carefully lower the yarn into it.<br /><br />Because I am a freak, I brought the steaming hot pot outside on the deck with me to watch. It was kinda an amazing process. Within 30 minutes the water was completely clear because the yarn with the vinegar bath actually acted as a dye magnet. It really does work! The yarn soaked up the dye from the water, leaving the water almost crystal clear again. The result is a beautiful pinky peachy yarn that I will post photos of this afternoon! This, by far, was the most successful dying adventure yet...partially because I love pink and was so very happy to finally be able to use roses from the garden! <br /><br />For anyone wanting to try natural yarn dying, this website was awesome for information:<br /><br />http://www.pioneerthinking.com/naturaldyes.htmlAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-89040582338600355622009-08-13T11:09:00.007-04:002009-08-13T13:10:08.527-04:00Fruit Flies and Fighting Back<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPT3CL1lWRyVIUZ7fF90Q18IjFTSjegmND_Pl1Gl0OzCBsp29IT-Rbj9uUFUV-MUB-o_56yHXb39Yg7vk74PevtegVpT2UfhaFLDkZpxxD9j0GE6F7ZXQutGg2EUOS7Q8gwmPdLy7bXRCD/s1600-h/flies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 119px; height: 120px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPT3CL1lWRyVIUZ7fF90Q18IjFTSjegmND_Pl1Gl0OzCBsp29IT-Rbj9uUFUV-MUB-o_56yHXb39Yg7vk74PevtegVpT2UfhaFLDkZpxxD9j0GE6F7ZXQutGg2EUOS7Q8gwmPdLy7bXRCD/s320/flies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369470556734996562" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: arial;font-family:courier new;" >Getting Rid of Fruit Flies - </span></span><span style="font-family: courier new;"><span>Summer gives us the opportunity to enjoy fruits in abundance and our family buy the</span></span><span style="font-family: courier new;"><span>m by the dozen, our kids enjoy them, especially our daughter, Fruit Flies also appreciate the gesture, they will appear within a few weeks and will remain a problem for the rest of the summer.<br /><br />I found and easy way to get rid of them and keep them in check, take a shallow dish about 9 inches in diameter or even bigger, pour about half of cup of Red Wine, covered the dish with clear Saran plastic wrap, make it tight and poke a few holes with a tip of steak knife a tad bigger than the size of their bodies and place the dish next to the source of the problem.<br /><br />Alternatively, you could use used Tea Bags instead of Red Wine, make sure they are very moist.<br /><br />The fermentation of the Red Wine or the moist Tea Bags is a magnet to them.<br /><br /></span></span>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-48486406635441754532009-08-13T10:14:00.006-04:002009-08-13T10:41:45.647-04:00Winner, Yarn and more Yarn<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hXEyuKjRSlqZmlRh_Memy0RDoR58SQ-Gi8A_YSmPOi_35SGKYu_mUZt9Vc5eNaR9uKxByfbp6co_Nh3W5MUc8FZbHBAp6OZte9ciL4qmOEB4u4oFE96gvh9jDezyLwZo2TIUFQjbTMIB/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+087.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hXEyuKjRSlqZmlRh_Memy0RDoR58SQ-Gi8A_YSmPOi_35SGKYu_mUZt9Vc5eNaR9uKxByfbp6co_Nh3W5MUc8FZbHBAp6OZte9ciL4qmOEB4u4oFE96gvh9jDezyLwZo2TIUFQjbTMIB/s200/EbayEtsy+087.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369457881226947106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjAzcCdN866-YKzGOgU40LbsGJfUcevlGHcvOVGJZPflYPcGMBCHHPXQuEtZrMDg_CrxTMjQtsoAL7Ks_Iv6nNcNddH3od12yWECVqKMiLGupF3UjZWBh3jP4S39wMpd8eQescO5oIEAj/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+086.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjAzcCdN866-YKzGOgU40LbsGJfUcevlGHcvOVGJZPflYPcGMBCHHPXQuEtZrMDg_CrxTMjQtsoAL7Ks_Iv6nNcNddH3od12yWECVqKMiLGupF3UjZWBh3jP4S39wMpd8eQescO5oIEAj/s200/EbayEtsy+086.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369457872179455570" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IMOUqnNOXirV1WUK0fuioNB3apZv2EHUi8iLcuJA-MtTvVcnbLLY27NQEBk__3SXKkb9oWPVPRL_h6jaEUiChBVCN6anhEfaTIAbzMpWyGBzhu1UOMe3I4IpNCmht7x8ug0NpAnrvc4y/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+078.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IMOUqnNOXirV1WUK0fuioNB3apZv2EHUi8iLcuJA-MtTvVcnbLLY27NQEBk__3SXKkb9oWPVPRL_h6jaEUiChBVCN6anhEfaTIAbzMpWyGBzhu1UOMe3I4IpNCmht7x8ug0NpAnrvc4y/s200/EbayEtsy+078.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369456565703976018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Thank you everyone who popped over from Ravelry to offer comments about our new blog. I truly appreciate the Ravelry community - always willing to offer opinion, share and participate in this crazy knitting thing we are all addicted to. Ravelry members are rockstars!<br /><br />Hubby and I are working hard on suggested revisions and will most likely have another contest shortly. Working hard, that is, between all the back to school shopping for the kids. This year my son is off to middle school (big sniff!) and the list of supplies he needs is pretty impressive. What happened to the days that we went off to school with a new pack of pens, a few folders and notebook paper? When did it become imperative to learning to have dry erase markers that have to be a specific brand? <br /><br />My son also needed all new jeans....in size 16 slim. That's right, he's eleven years old and has to be in a 16 for the length. No slim in the world is slim enough for him and he usually looks like he's wearing his dad's pants. He's always been really slender and now, is almost as tall as I am (5'5"). With hubby only 5'8", we're not sure where he gets his height. Finding 16 slims is no easy task. Too many trips to too many stores this week. Not enough knitting. 90 degrees and humid. I get cranky.<br /><br />I did, however, find time to block a scarf I finished two months or so ago. Really digging the leaf motifs on this after blocking.<br /><br />In between all this, I have tried my hand at some "nature dying". I bumped into a website at the beginning of summer that listed what dye color could be derived using different plants. So we had a go with it and the photo above is the results! Using Jaeger Extra Fine Merino wound in 100 yard hanks, the light green yarn was dyed with fresh cut grass, the yellow with tumeric and the brown with Red Rose tea. Now, these are not any special color you couldn't buy at the store. Nor are they hand painted and fabulous....but they are kinda cool that you could go into the backyard, or open a drawer in your kitchen and dye your yarn. I found none of the yarn dyed evenly (meaning I have highs and lows of the color) but I kinda like that too.<br /><br />Today, we attack the rose bushes for dye base! Also, if you are a snapdragon in my garden, you best hide as I hear you are the best flower to use for dying!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-4254475563558953782009-08-06T19:53:00.002-04:002009-08-07T18:42:03.945-04:00Portland, Oregon - Sock Summit, Alternatives and Free Yarn!<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgl3ctQArgofHQP7oJbD_WWIM4FxwLzD6Qv4mnFfI57jI0knliIXXsRTy89TSeuuBhw9YWNIKIe9oe9myF0kIYDjse5L-qE4WQ1D7PNZOcL7y3I1T0PbK-oonxmmAbA0eAyCW249jNYda/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+079.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgl3ctQArgofHQP7oJbD_WWIM4FxwLzD6Qv4mnFfI57jI0knliIXXsRTy89TSeuuBhw9YWNIKIe9oe9myF0kIYDjse5L-qE4WQ1D7PNZOcL7y3I1T0PbK-oonxmmAbA0eAyCW249jNYda/s200/EbayEtsy+079.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367233466269858978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eTI_yiUhrgIlR5RH2hQ7amlYi3_gJR59aPi_SQ9BMwC2t11xb2MmGh6dXgwUnP4MfpexAvLl8YP3QlY2ePp1QRUEVHwT5A64jhx0QS_QfmdFG2k6-nGK9-QTWSVt_kOcpQmIL_sRna99/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+081.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eTI_yiUhrgIlR5RH2hQ7amlYi3_gJR59aPi_SQ9BMwC2t11xb2MmGh6dXgwUnP4MfpexAvLl8YP3QlY2ePp1QRUEVHwT5A64jhx0QS_QfmdFG2k6-nGK9-QTWSVt_kOcpQmIL_sRna99/s200/EbayEtsy+081.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367233440858508498" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErzxKYDAflTSNtguQRhiVvNCbwI-uBWLHDEvOIXOh7OJuDhQQkXzmx6U2JqfsbP-oxmEQ0lMJUPlOlysbOXB9J-r6NwEV0j6b7eoajqIZaQ52r04ASJrM-2oRdsQqiAdtPm2DL9tvqtKi/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+082.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErzxKYDAflTSNtguQRhiVvNCbwI-uBWLHDEvOIXOh7OJuDhQQkXzmx6U2JqfsbP-oxmEQ0lMJUPlOlysbOXB9J-r6NwEV0j6b7eoajqIZaQ52r04ASJrM-2oRdsQqiAdtPm2DL9tvqtKi/s200/EbayEtsy+082.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367233421143291154" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Did I mention we used to live in Portland, Oregon? We moved to Ohio roughly two years ago for a job opportunity. Imagine my dismay to hear the Sock Summit was in Portland! The agony! Knowing I could have simply taken a few vacation days, not have to travel, be in my own bed every night and go to the hottest sock gathering this year?!?! It seriously has been bumming me out. Every time I log onto Ravelry, I get more and more homesick for the Pacific Northwest. Yes - could I have booked a flight, flown across country, stayed with friends, had hubby watch the kids and attended. Of course. But who has an extra $800 laying around to get to Portland for three days?<br /><br />Here's the strange part....I don't even knit socks. The farthest I have gotten is a two needle variety pattern written in the 1940's. DPN's are my worse enemy. Doesn't matter though. I am pouting about not going anyways. I feel like I am missing a great party because my Dad is not letting me go! Pout, pout, pout!<br /><br />The upside for me is there are many projects to use all this yummy sock yarn on without actually knitting socks! With that being said, to celebrate opening day of the Sock Summit 2009, I am giving away two balls of Adriafil Knitcol Trends sock yarn! It's a self-striping/patterning yarn that knits up to almost a sport weight (kinda inbetween a true sock and at DK weight). I have a photo of some on the needles right now that are going to be awesome fingerless gloves for the Fall. The best part is there will be a tiny Hippo included (knit on Red Heart - Heart & Sole).<br /><br />So what's the catch? Free yarn? Too good to be true, right? Nope! I just need a favor....Just post a comment, including your email so I can reach the random lucky winner, and tell me what you like about Herbie Dog Digs and what needs to change. All input is greatly appreciated (good or bad)!<br /><br />Good luck to all and we will pick the lucky winner on Sunday!!!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-23844108322516278222009-08-04T08:57:00.000-04:002009-08-04T09:42:03.514-04:00Best Intentions at Tradition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06B_1dhrKTbIGHyuSbXANu7gucHE13PB5I_x7C0lP7VFHVr1ll8zb9vuT73TwoshxAmbzoIcR4WEUyARAMVvVVs9BBzV5D_VZdSNKsMXV-pwLVB6EijwdXQRsYtgf8CBcmjzLgqOvh4Mp/s1600-h/ohtsout028.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06B_1dhrKTbIGHyuSbXANu7gucHE13PB5I_x7C0lP7VFHVr1ll8zb9vuT73TwoshxAmbzoIcR4WEUyARAMVvVVs9BBzV5D_VZdSNKsMXV-pwLVB6EijwdXQRsYtgf8CBcmjzLgqOvh4Mp/s200/ohtsout028.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366103153907130818" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm9wlKtEsZ5RnKsvf_y9tpIGn1dbayTwPp01bSErMLOHgGIs9PYCDUxXQTjwySl3mCXbVuc-gxBsL_09-j32CFQuOX3l-2TxGYp7-aM8kthAhKP3BTwOffORVvn1E7BRaJpdAkkNiFFUA/s1600-h/ohtsout023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRm9wlKtEsZ5RnKsvf_y9tpIGn1dbayTwPp01bSErMLOHgGIs9PYCDUxXQTjwySl3mCXbVuc-gxBsL_09-j32CFQuOX3l-2TxGYp7-aM8kthAhKP3BTwOffORVvn1E7BRaJpdAkkNiFFUA/s200/ohtsout023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366103150915708050" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOndUzzwkXgnSVGdKDyjQLb5PKW5Fd-11EB9cmVhBY5auoeGkI0eAFgNq1k22dgAZ2q0NK7ICi3q0DAqClMfjnOKXcnSbD_77ai6r0GLYwc0_rrE88niXKluBvaBkNGZt5ioAtZdApH6bM/s1600-h/ohtsout012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOndUzzwkXgnSVGdKDyjQLb5PKW5Fd-11EB9cmVhBY5auoeGkI0eAFgNq1k22dgAZ2q0NK7ICi3q0DAqClMfjnOKXcnSbD_77ai6r0GLYwc0_rrE88niXKluBvaBkNGZt5ioAtZdApH6bM/s200/ohtsout012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366103146198654642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />While skulking around the internet a few months ago, I found the website Drive-In.com. It's a really cool list of both operating and closed drive-in's throughout the United States. As we have only been in Columbus for two years and don't remember seeing a drive-in during our past exploration of the city, I typed in our zip code. Low and behold, we are a mere 18.2 miles from South Drive-In! An operating drive-in right under our noses!<br /><br />Since finding the website, we (well, mostly me) have been talking about going to the drive-in. The kids were pretty hyped up about it (me and my big mouth) and had resorted to asking almost daily when were were going. Hubby has never experienced a drive-in as well. That's right - I was the only experienced drive-in-er in the family. Hubby had never been bowling as well when we first met. Maybe it's just the Buffalo in me - these were rights of passage growing up - drive-in movie theaters and moonlight bowling. I could tell Hubby was not thrilled about sitting in an SUV for five hours, using public restrooms and paying $7 for a bucket of popcorn but he was willing to give it a try for the experience value.<br /><br />So, we loaded the kids in the car last night along with our Google directions, cooler (yes, you can bring sodas and food in!), pillows and, of course my knitting and headed south on the 670. We arrived in plenty of time as the website said the first show started at 8:50 pm....uh, try 9:15. Guy at the ticket booth was really nice (albeit mostly toothless) but had that midwesterner hospitality that I've come to enjoy in this area of the country. There were only twenty or so other cars that had come out to enjoy a beautiful Monday night at the drive-in.<br /><br />South Drive-In definitely has seen better days. It's a two screen facility in a not-so-fantastic part of Columbus. The wear and tear is evident on the place and it was almost a step back in time. The kids were dismayed that they were going to have to stay in the back seat and complained of not being able to see. They both blew through three cans of Pepsi a piece during the first movie so you know what that meant - bathrooms were imminent by intermission. Bathrooms at the South Drive-In are in need of a serious overhaul - ew. Intermission was about 3 minutes long so we missed the start of the second feature. By the midway point of the second feature (Harry Potter), we all were pretty cramped with my son exclaiming he's never coming back.<br /><br />I understand now why drive-in's are dying out. How can these places compete with mega theatres, 50" home plasma screens, etc. The upside is the price - $8 for an adult and $1 for kids under 12. And you get to see two movies. Last nights feature was G-Force (story about special agent hamsters that save the world) and Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Pretty cheap night out for the family and we got to see the top two rated box office movies in one night (G-Force was much cuter than I expected). There are definitely some improvements cosmetically that they could make to the property to heighten the visitor's experience but you have to wonder if it would really make a difference.<br /><br />Not sure if this family will ever see a drive in movie again but overall, it was fun and nostalgic. Then again, when next summer rolls around, I'm sure the kids will have forgotten how much they were cramped, etc and beg to go again! Now, to convince Hubby..........ha!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-14733500558320276102009-08-01T09:15:00.001-04:002009-08-01T11:13:58.612-04:00Somebody Stop Me!<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLrc_tyOaoDL4DBMPYb74qF3TSfYS_MBh0IBQE5PdiDaruK_zqIY_6ng6iZe9squkmV4ARuOD0a8PItICBViwH_6EFX37AP4PKeVBL6sGG3dm9de75lbyptKioTC5QdJERN-g5E5ruEGg/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+475.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLrc_tyOaoDL4DBMPYb74qF3TSfYS_MBh0IBQE5PdiDaruK_zqIY_6ng6iZe9squkmV4ARuOD0a8PItICBViwH_6EFX37AP4PKeVBL6sGG3dm9de75lbyptKioTC5QdJERN-g5E5ruEGg/s200/EbayEtsy+475.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364988971155097602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFtMlFxlBQYh-8RJL5vxxI40rju7XeEk_qGNnRgzS_ihvfOBViPLuzQLwXmZWS9d1qquaQq50AO5EtAdqXH52CEhbI7kHW8dA1H7qEVM-_DyUok0lEk9xiOU3aRsiW1tKyaO9t0J9qIxBI/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+473.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFtMlFxlBQYh-8RJL5vxxI40rju7XeEk_qGNnRgzS_ihvfOBViPLuzQLwXmZWS9d1qquaQq50AO5EtAdqXH52CEhbI7kHW8dA1H7qEVM-_DyUok0lEk9xiOU3aRsiW1tKyaO9t0J9qIxBI/s200/EbayEtsy+473.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364988961519922914" border="0" /></a><br />Finally, the rain has lifted and the sun is shining gloriously this morning!<br /><br />Did I mention that I am an addict? Yes, a fiber addict. I buy embarrassing amounts of yarn. Our mail person must think I am insane as I continuously receive packages that are squishy soft and pillow sized. In my defense, rarely do I pay full retail for any yarn. I furiously clip coupons from the Sunday paper for Joann Fabrics when I need some regular cotton yarn, or internet shop looking for the best deals on the yarn I HAVE to have. You'll notice my list of haunts to the right - these are the sites I frequently troll looking for the best deals.<br /><br />Because I hunt for such great deals, most of the time either the yarn or the colorway is/was retired...which causes me to buy much more yarn than I could ever use on a project lest I run out during the last two inches of a sweater and being unable to find more. This approach/mentality to yarn buying has turned our spare bedroom into a mini LYS.<br /><br />Which leads to the reason for this post. Yesterday afternoon, when the sun finally popped out for the first time in days, I took photos of Friday's mail delivery. Two packages of yummy yarn!<br /><br />*The blue is the new Berroco Vintage Wool in the color Gingham. Broke one of my rules on this one and bought three hanks at full retail. Ouch. This yarn just came out to much fanfare. I read so much about how wonderful it was that I just had to have it. I can happily say that it didn't disappoint.<br />*The gray yarn is labeled the steal of the day. It was marked down over $6 per skein! Bought from one of my favorite UK yarn websites - Cucumber Patch. Rowan Yarns - Cashmere Tweed is 90 percent cashmere, 10 percent silk = 100 percent satisfaction from me! I love this yarn as it has tiny tweed flecks of pastel colors. Love it so much that after I took these photos, I ran back to Cucumber Patch and order some more....Sick, sick, sick!<br /><br /><br />Oh, and what am I working on right now? Yes - more two needle socks. Somebody stop me!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-30688180992674610032009-07-30T18:17:00.001-04:002009-07-31T09:59:49.336-04:00More Socks, More Rain.....and Gloves?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKE-pbG33JqHxe59CtcV-L4HWFRpBg-BpW8DSznMqRSvZuQ0K5Tv0MmEs6jC1mJXO6C_MHWMb4VADRRXyCCczYLLgYTj97lMY2bsRmOL40M4aTiU37OSHdpayuQ_Vge8J7rWfnlL_0O974/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+472.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKE-pbG33JqHxe59CtcV-L4HWFRpBg-BpW8DSznMqRSvZuQ0K5Tv0MmEs6jC1mJXO6C_MHWMb4VADRRXyCCczYLLgYTj97lMY2bsRmOL40M4aTiU37OSHdpayuQ_Vge8J7rWfnlL_0O974/s200/EbayEtsy+472.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364384351180177794" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFAEcxJl5D1N50d5LLNO_R8tO7rjmgkotOKZmA5rMXSaZiRcDxHhJVLU2Bq_rhxMZuKrtTQoTutHP4qYo8NKnudj5ncOpXlGMKAiNz2FRF7w0N4wB5om16NrK8J-2xOCS2oRgrIP5rwob/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+471.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjFAEcxJl5D1N50d5LLNO_R8tO7rjmgkotOKZmA5rMXSaZiRcDxHhJVLU2Bq_rhxMZuKrtTQoTutHP4qYo8NKnudj5ncOpXlGMKAiNz2FRF7w0N4wB5om16NrK8J-2xOCS2oRgrIP5rwob/s200/EbayEtsy+471.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364384343834967954" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBs8w-s4Wv2ZIvQZ9eVaD6nFtsUWNwR1NCy6BzQHQu_uv5ksxktxXneNyV-CZvhy1995s7jtGBLTkS5C6qjGVtyfj4uZN5RYmeFen1d7Z5qm2-M13F_CRbAIUm03FZXMW6KcPNzJqo7n-w/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+468.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBs8w-s4Wv2ZIvQZ9eVaD6nFtsUWNwR1NCy6BzQHQu_uv5ksxktxXneNyV-CZvhy1995s7jtGBLTkS5C6qjGVtyfj4uZN5RYmeFen1d7Z5qm2-M13F_CRbAIUm03FZXMW6KcPNzJqo7n-w/s200/EbayEtsy+468.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364383771290054754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Egads. More rain for central Ohio. Yesterday was almost two inches. Woke up to fog soup this morning. More rain predicted for tomorrow. Ugh.<br /><br />My entire garden is loving this whole thing. I have more cucumbers on the vine then one family could possibly eat. It's led me to research bread and butter pickle recipes on foodtv.com. I always thought you had to grow "special" cucumbers for pickles. Apparently, no. And, supposedly, they can be done in the microwave? I think I'm going to give it a whirl as in about two weeks, we will have to do some serious picking. I finally picked our lone green pepper as well. Didn't expect much as we only planted two pepper plants but only one pepper at a time? It's flowering again but at this rate, you'd have to plant a dozen plants just to make stuffed peppers.<br /><br />The rain has left us tons of time for knitting. When I say "us", I mean I always have company. Sabrina changes projects and direction as quickly as I do. She is learning how to rib (k2, p2) to make herself a pair of fingerless gloves to go along with her new two-needle socks that Mom (yours truly) just finished (photo above). I must say, one should always have fingerless gloves to match ones socks, no? Anyhoo - loving this whole two needle thing a bit too much. As I posted earlier, I am a dolt with double pointed needles (stretches my comfort zone just to knit an I-cord).<br /><br />Lastly, I have posted photos of a pattern I just finished (still on the fingerless glove theme). Another kick I am on is knitted leaves...and I have no idea why. Just love the way the leaves seem to "pop" out of the knitting. Love the way they turned out (and in 100% cashmere...Ooooo) and was toying with posting the pattern for free on Ravelry. Any opinions? Interest?Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-16986832473363458462009-07-27T09:47:00.000-04:002009-07-28T00:53:22.770-04:00Progress!<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaTZB4lWIQc4LSoTBxMyuhb_gg9EqPR-E3ph304e-DYbiXnpbS32ROU9ehce53-LhTZK4y7-PABDlE9NCG00_UcivW9mj25r1SmkT39ZjLSGyjYHYpLEVxwWnCf8e5jfHtaw3xh_ckbkK/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+464.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaTZB4lWIQc4LSoTBxMyuhb_gg9EqPR-E3ph304e-DYbiXnpbS32ROU9ehce53-LhTZK4y7-PABDlE9NCG00_UcivW9mj25r1SmkT39ZjLSGyjYHYpLEVxwWnCf8e5jfHtaw3xh_ckbkK/s200/EbayEtsy+464.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363138561250634034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGZf-Ec_R6XmkJVE2bgrnaVa6eu9_U_u1qtMexEjMKUboDB-HfrmejM8UiiM8en7qWaSZX8gWp6DhD70OUYQHpOQicugaYo71t556YLa2mwRaZ-nVOzhYwqEyxXyXeb2uXHaOwG4R7qW6/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+463.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGZf-Ec_R6XmkJVE2bgrnaVa6eu9_U_u1qtMexEjMKUboDB-HfrmejM8UiiM8en7qWaSZX8gWp6DhD70OUYQHpOQicugaYo71t556YLa2mwRaZ-nVOzhYwqEyxXyXeb2uXHaOwG4R7qW6/s200/EbayEtsy+463.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363138557724932210" border="0" /></a><br />Made some great project progress yesterday afternoon and last night! Finished the shrug for my daughter (pic to come) as well as the two-needle socks I was working on for me (photo above)! Two big checkmarks in the completed column! Yah! My son declared the socks to be "a fine piece of workmanship". He is eleven and such a goofy kid - and, yes, he really talks like that.<br /><br />One step closer to Fall knitting of hats, mittens, gloves and scarves (although I have my eye on starting the "Sexy Vest" (free post of Ravelry). Before I even start a pattern now, I look at the Ravelry project progress to see what yarn people are using and what success rate they have had. It has saved me huge amounts of time with false starts. Almost everyone that has reviewed "Sexy Vest" raves about the ease of the pattern to follow and I think I have enough of the incredible Sublime yarn. Received six balls in the mail on Saturday in Aubergine - which is a beautiful purple with brown undertones.<br /><br />Was also on Ravelry yesterday reading reviews of the new Berroco yarn "Vintage Wool". Again, in complete trust of the savvy Ravelry knitters, I ran to Ebay and bought six skeins of two shades of green. At over 210 yards per hank, I can see the possibility of more vests for the Fall season.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-87419958872006667592009-07-26T14:51:00.000-04:002009-07-28T00:55:09.080-04:00Rain, Rain, Rain<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRoclpZSSTCZ5uxRkmgxpyMJiQ7mYaNd2CgHGDO0K5CUaSkNrGp9VtYX0mK153XPlh5NizslYAhF-2q4IFZQ6DUE3p13zXUUil7IF0nvaKmGww3u75hyphenhyphenOvsgwNcf4SZpK4EzijfHV9bA-/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+136.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgRoclpZSSTCZ5uxRkmgxpyMJiQ7mYaNd2CgHGDO0K5CUaSkNrGp9VtYX0mK153XPlh5NizslYAhF-2q4IFZQ6DUE3p13zXUUil7IF0nvaKmGww3u75hyphenhyphenOvsgwNcf4SZpK4EzijfHV9bA-/s200/EbayEtsy+136.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362901411556386978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpM2R52mSLns8MPz-SUH_FBw3wZVrXc9dFCZFqqPMmFOgNgFZ4aWJranawFH7QMgVhzHW-UXwh0agpDTZyJ-7dJM-0Ztu4zm8QBEXp32yhwUE746Zp_5jkdDXtOB7x4hgWa_UIBuK6vPI8/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+083.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpM2R52mSLns8MPz-SUH_FBw3wZVrXc9dFCZFqqPMmFOgNgFZ4aWJranawFH7QMgVhzHW-UXwh0agpDTZyJ-7dJM-0Ztu4zm8QBEXp32yhwUE746Zp_5jkdDXtOB7x4hgWa_UIBuK6vPI8/s200/EbayEtsy+083.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362901408741406994" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirztfPu3059Afsqi3IH-jxvIsk6WJElkKBi5dt_jH22-ZbHBxmTM8P7WdcKap6vm4oSFhAM9tJQgcjw9WRe32OLjW8Qqa5-FfQ6AjIumJGOpIducQvu1twVgcQAwIoXbDclvECYMZTWX2f/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+076.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirztfPu3059Afsqi3IH-jxvIsk6WJElkKBi5dt_jH22-ZbHBxmTM8P7WdcKap6vm4oSFhAM9tJQgcjw9WRe32OLjW8Qqa5-FfQ6AjIumJGOpIducQvu1twVgcQAwIoXbDclvECYMZTWX2f/s200/EbayEtsy+076.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362901399368467970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We've had quiet a bit of rain as of late in central Ohio and the dogs are a tad house happy (not to mention the humans!). This morning we had them out before the predicted afternoon thunderstorms begin again.<br /><br />Stitch (the silver dapple) is 6 years old and we bought him from a wonderful breeder in Oregon. He is a great representation of the dachshund breed - calm, very attached to his family, good with kids, a bit worried during thunderstorms (adding to the house happiness mentioned above - lots of hiding in the deepest recesses of the pantry, wimpering).... We moved to Ohio over two years ago and wanted him to have a friend. Enter Oscar into the scene as a Christmas present from hubby in 2008. Wow - stellar opposite to Stitch. Oscar is a livewire. Runs everywhere and a non-stop PIA for Stitch. Wants to play constantly and, Stitch, being a little on the chubby side, cannot keep up with him. Attached is a picture of Oscar trying to get Stitch to chase him through the yard.<br /><br />They are back in the house now, barking non-stop as my daughter has a friend over. Just kicked the kids outside for a little peaceful knitting time.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-4124599105774310002009-07-24T11:38:00.000-04:002009-07-24T11:46:59.784-04:00Oh, and I almost forgot.....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI0N9GgD4TaoW1GEkSEAmPusVCOnqFH00t6Di4sqc027KDx2x-uZez5J0iNNorsDUjSkUjDRJFkw39_h7_hQZnqi-jJh-rpOcE3Xzte7gy_-e7FApC-h9OgROmd8jw6Fk8eYBsZMa6fRr/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+441.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI0N9GgD4TaoW1GEkSEAmPusVCOnqFH00t6Di4sqc027KDx2x-uZez5J0iNNorsDUjSkUjDRJFkw39_h7_hQZnqi-jJh-rpOcE3Xzte7gy_-e7FApC-h9OgROmd8jw6Fk8eYBsZMa6fRr/s200/EbayEtsy+441.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362053155420024418" border="0" /></a><br />....my Japanese quilt needs to be finished! I have been working on this for two plus years - that's right - years. I needs about 4 hours worth of work. It is going to be fabulous when completed but too small for my queen size bed - more like a twin sized. So, instead of spending four more hours searching for more fabric to buy on Etsy and Ebay, I need to drag myself to Joann Fabrics today, buy the dang thread I need and finally put this puppy to rest!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-59306795564865222922009-07-24T11:13:00.000-04:002009-07-24T11:37:05.113-04:00Another finished project!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOKh1UG86vSjkquQo51MCRyownv89sg-RcyddnZOAMfRc0AztP6A-uFD3Ou4VjNVdYtE8Wsr-3Ozr_v3TFSeCcThyybOhLyeBnMG0dyOin0tzDeqBWCxJq8FrTgPdE-dCBds_fPYd598F/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+461.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOKh1UG86vSjkquQo51MCRyownv89sg-RcyddnZOAMfRc0AztP6A-uFD3Ou4VjNVdYtE8Wsr-3Ozr_v3TFSeCcThyybOhLyeBnMG0dyOin0tzDeqBWCxJq8FrTgPdE-dCBds_fPYd598F/s200/EbayEtsy+461.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362051151172460802" border="0" /></a><br />I am on a quest to finish the scores of unfinished projects lying around the house...and there are a ton of them! Most of them only need an hour or so worth of work to finish so I promised myself that I cannot start my Fall knitting until these projects are done! Project to complete are:<br /><br />*The second slipper sock - I found a great two needle sock pattern as I cannot knit with four double pointed needles to save my life! I have one sock completed in a yummy yarn called Jaeger Roma (now discontinued). Two evenings and I finally should have a completed pair<br /><br />*Shrug for my daughter - Found an easy shrug pattern on Ravelry called "shrug this". Miscalculated the size (was originally for me) so in less than two hours, this should be complete for Sabrina's back to school wardrobe<br /><br />*Shrug for me - Purchased Berroco pattern called "Ezra". Used Jaegar Roma but this time with not so great results. Expended a lot of energy on this and it's a bit odd fitting. Need to block this and try to salvage<br /><br />*Two fingerless mits - Both are my own pattern that I want to post on Ravelry. They are completed but need to take pictures and write up the pattern. One was completed on this incredible handspun cashmere I found on Etsy.<br /><br />Finally...In the photo above, my labor of love this summer - a knit purse. I don't even like knit purses but started this on a whim. And I love how it came out! It's finally complete (even lined!) and I need to spend fifteen minutes sewing a snap in it so closes.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-71120346741776345862009-07-23T10:01:00.000-04:002009-07-23T10:09:01.372-04:00Rainy Summer Days<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GcxYOAjAWyZqySKRNuV58FZ69X96qWBwuV4tFQ54EkVw8yMRfYQOn4tMQK_v0v-3nFvdKzquBWLR1ocwz5APVM4dPHYpuWqg09fjaCAcjx5EruqeLgjXD6-4iDBql3bEbVAWJkbGUY5Z/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+073.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GcxYOAjAWyZqySKRNuV58FZ69X96qWBwuV4tFQ54EkVw8yMRfYQOn4tMQK_v0v-3nFvdKzquBWLR1ocwz5APVM4dPHYpuWqg09fjaCAcjx5EruqeLgjXD6-4iDBql3bEbVAWJkbGUY5Z/s200/EbayEtsy+073.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361657089422390994" border="0" /></a><br />I love rainy summer days. It's a nice break to sit inside, not having to worry about watering the plants lest they faint away with the late afternoon Ohio heat. We spent over five years living in Oregon - you learn to appreciate liquid sunshine. :o)<br /><br />Yesterday was just one of those rainy days. We had bananas ready to go over so we made a double batch of yummy banana bread.<br /><br />Also, my daughter saw an alien pattern on Ravelry recently posted by Barbara Prime (check it out - totally cute and free!). She insisted I teach her how to make this pattern. I could tell I was in for a long afternoon! Up until now, she has only knit and purl (just learning purl about two months go). She turned nine in May.<div class="notes markdown"> <p>I set her off to the stash looking for that perfect yarn to complete her alien. She came back with Sensation Kashmira in a beautiful blue, along with size 4 needles. To make it interesting, Mom chose one of her favorites - Jaeger Matchmaker (favorite color - Hop Green) and the trusty size 2 Signature needles.</p> <p>Long story short, we spent our rainy summer afternoon yesterday knitting this together. A few of the rows I ended up doing for her as she was dropping stitches all over the place. She was soooo proud of the finished results.</p> </div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-85557289424633553302009-07-19T09:33:00.000-04:002009-07-19T09:44:19.592-04:00I love knitting, I hate knitting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgubhRTP3o0y0AxbWs7j1VP8AHkSg2hyJONfU6I3nY4nPcAFiJ4xUKFOOj1NyJpAJfPdzUfXvBIYk-F5aEBOxRsg6Kno1DDlzgq2Xe4fEdXkvbqs41kQ3sOuPHwNQzkN_od964pDnGee4/s1600-h/286_ezra_cornell_op_medium.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgubhRTP3o0y0AxbWs7j1VP8AHkSg2hyJONfU6I3nY4nPcAFiJ4xUKFOOj1NyJpAJfPdzUfXvBIYk-F5aEBOxRsg6Kno1DDlzgq2Xe4fEdXkvbqs41kQ3sOuPHwNQzkN_od964pDnGee4/s200/286_ezra_cornell_op_medium.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360166206477664562" border="0" /></a><br />I have been knitting for more than 10 years. Sounds impressive, eh?<br /><br />I have yet to produce a sweater that I would wear myself. Am I too picky? Are my expectations too high? I can crank out toys, mittens, gauntlets and hats like nobody's business. Garments? To wear outside? ha! Torture!<br /><br />I see other garments that fellow knitters produce by hand on Ravelry and they look exactly like the photo that comes with the pattern. Mine, however, are somehow tragically handicap.<br /><br />Take for example the most recent folly - Ezra. A really well written pattern by Berroco. I did my gauge swatch yet this came out very big. Not tragic as it's a really, really tiny shrug. Fine. Can live with that. However, the neckline is a total nightmare. It's too tight. The sweater itself stretches where it shouldn't and drapes really weird over my shoulders. I spent weeks on this thing and have been told by my loving family that it's "OK".<br /><br />I've posted a picture of what it's supposed to look like. I am going to try and block it today to see if I can salvage this thing. Photo to come tomorrow.<br /><br />Sigh. I think I'll start this cute cat pattern today. The world needs more stuffed cats, right?Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-60404754761966329712009-07-16T19:58:00.000-04:002009-07-16T20:03:02.873-04:00Hedgehog Finished!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymBsUp3PBvI4QiRv6Rf11XosgACJwuoYAAo_F09J5CskPqhwK0HgvG-fTC3T-MWDajpQP7oKHyCXvxZ1Ig2rwsE1iyb71q8xYMthVjP1nHKH4GqRhBbaiAGWuZmm4YbtkvJpv0mJPGFQb/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymBsUp3PBvI4QiRv6Rf11XosgACJwuoYAAo_F09J5CskPqhwK0HgvG-fTC3T-MWDajpQP7oKHyCXvxZ1Ig2rwsE1iyb71q8xYMthVjP1nHKH4GqRhBbaiAGWuZmm4YbtkvJpv0mJPGFQb/s200/EbayEtsy+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359212498124559250" border="0" /></a><br />and he came out <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">soooo</span> cute! I used some unidentified green <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">variegated</span> cotton yarn from my yarn stash, along with some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Jaeger</span> Matchmaker for the face. Last, I used some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Moda</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Dea</span> bamboo in grey for the nose! He ended up being about 5" long.<br /><br />Not your traditional Hedgehog but he's a cutie none the less!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-17628636267207679072009-07-16T14:09:00.001-04:002009-07-16T15:34:33.886-04:00More Photos of Poor Man's Paella<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBSed2zAWASzAt1NW2q64t1aUB6ApiBByCmQSdGa8RaCy2LNtK9yssCeiKyUHYZVGiy8XCz-NwW0NmIu3IMNrSorEzndIB20pkhfJ8h4I8D2RGl0byQa0AYg6xszbP2r0Dm1mbjLX8lv0/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+004.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBSed2zAWASzAt1NW2q64t1aUB6ApiBByCmQSdGa8RaCy2LNtK9yssCeiKyUHYZVGiy8XCz-NwW0NmIu3IMNrSorEzndIB20pkhfJ8h4I8D2RGl0byQa0AYg6xszbP2r0Dm1mbjLX8lv0/s400/EbayEtsy+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359142417703593586" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEqMQWV1rcmI_Xtc_tozo5ir4aSvTylGKrf-J0ESb21BJD1b2k_wvu4-veGzWKePGHeEcC2mp5iWSqyOBsVLWcSkvoHNL9j87zPKwvWhoAomf5KzYswh2ZypP9EY-0dFadsuT9Fdvq46B/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+002.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEqMQWV1rcmI_Xtc_tozo5ir4aSvTylGKrf-J0ESb21BJD1b2k_wvu4-veGzWKePGHeEcC2mp5iWSqyOBsVLWcSkvoHNL9j87zPKwvWhoAomf5KzYswh2ZypP9EY-0dFadsuT9Fdvq46B/s400/EbayEtsy+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359142341827035346" border="0" /></a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-2955169527342469632009-07-16T13:16:00.001-04:002009-08-13T11:29:14.952-04:00More Photos of Poor Man's Paella<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-72112411254762840352009-07-16T11:15:00.000-04:002009-07-16T15:30:42.278-04:00Poor Man's Paella<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEFNQOkr6UBHL_E-bjH3YPCTYJ7Uz5GZk3XcQ5hyqAMuMQ0E6WB9DT1aSwxi3R3tvxFx0W1tfsQ6Dcvqq7AYlCegxPtUuhzH7Fead7BAHSKp4tAoPIlXmR3MZPzVLmoB_V4GUdSLHvpkx/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEFNQOkr6UBHL_E-bjH3YPCTYJ7Uz5GZk3XcQ5hyqAMuMQ0E6WB9DT1aSwxi3R3tvxFx0W1tfsQ6Dcvqq7AYlCegxPtUuhzH7Fead7BAHSKp4tAoPIlXmR3MZPzVLmoB_V4GUdSLHvpkx/s200/EbayEtsy+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359142658942892402" border="0" /></a><br />As I posted yesterday, we came up with an easy and awesome Paella recipe that I can't help but sharing. Yes, this is a craft blog but aren't a lot of crafty people cooks too? ha!<br /><br />*2-1/2 cups Jasmine rice (not quick rice)<br />*3 cups of chicken stock (i used canned and cut down on the salt for the rice)<br />*2 cups water<br />*3 tablespoons of olive oil<br />*2 cloves of garlic<br />*2 lbs of frozen shrimp<br />*1 lb of imitation crab (i know - eye roll - but i love the stuff)<br />*10 green olives (cut in half)<br />*1 can of corn, drained<br />*1/2 can of green peas, drained<br />*30 capers (my family loves these!)<br />*1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (you can omit if you don't like heat)<br />*Fresh cilantro (taken from the garden - about 5 leaves)<br />*2 dried bay leaves (take these out when ready to serve)<br />*pinch of saffron (not necessary but makes the paella authentic)<br />*1/2 teaspoon of salt<br />*1 package of Knorr Sazon with Coriander and Annatto (available in your grocery store's spice aisle or the hispanic food section). This gives it the golden color<br />*pepper to taste<br /><br />Throw the rice and liquids (water, stock and olive oil) into a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Throw everything else in the pot at the same time, place a lid on it and lower the flame to low. Cook 20 minutes without lifting the lid and it's done! I served with cut lime on each plate to squeeze over the rice. Again, not necessary but paella is a heavy meal (especially in July) and the lime seems to "lighten" it!<br /><br />Sounds like a lot of ingredients but you make up for it in the ease of cooking. This fed my family of four (my son eats as much as hubby does) and we had enough left over for an awesome lunch the next day!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-31804318261042845522009-07-15T20:06:00.000-04:002009-07-18T00:33:19.628-04:00Shameless plug....<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTpDm9gxcRKudhxJ6rRv0iO8tETYyDl2IEOHYu31wEmhwUIcr45YWuvaFD_FIwSRRQFdm8V1ta02SV9zzAQOIj_GeFKj1oiENgMshP9FQf40jrEjjK5YpIorYDXurruDbvKi4frDzWq2s/s1600-h/Etsy4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 53px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTpDm9gxcRKudhxJ6rRv0iO8tETYyDl2IEOHYu31wEmhwUIcr45YWuvaFD_FIwSRRQFdm8V1ta02SV9zzAQOIj_GeFKj1oiENgMshP9FQf40jrEjjK5YpIorYDXurruDbvKi4frDzWq2s/s400/Etsy4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359143226020282610" border="0" /></a><br />Ok, ok...a little shameless plugging! We opened our own Etsy shop a few weeks ago and shockingly, we are selling! A lot! It's a great way to clear out old stashes of yarn, books, etc. Take a look this weekend and you'll see some great deals as we mark down craft books...that...need...to...go.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6330229">http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6330229</a><br /><br />It's call Herbie Dog Digs (shocking, I know). Hubby did a kick arse job on the banner!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-49148311378821024962009-07-15T18:26:00.000-04:002009-07-15T18:31:13.615-04:00Yummy Dinner Tonight!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUXczp3kg_4WAo7Cc-qwGl4lze-83Ipx11ivP84NZuzJjHQoT7-p1_JKlf7wboJmbWrUXtWmyGoxf5nFEYpdJaJ70qTGhX2zsxm3vStBlJAFZUXiLaupje1wLWqDz9pvsHdE8DbTIveDA/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUXczp3kg_4WAo7Cc-qwGl4lze-83Ipx11ivP84NZuzJjHQoT7-p1_JKlf7wboJmbWrUXtWmyGoxf5nFEYpdJaJ70qTGhX2zsxm3vStBlJAFZUXiLaupje1wLWqDz9pvsHdE8DbTIveDA/s200/EbayEtsy+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358818037611322306" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Awesome dinner tonight! Kinda thrown together on the fly from seafood we just got from Sam's Club but it was AWESOME! I'll post the recipe tomorrow but for now, let's call it the Poor Man's Paella!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-48251955387840692152009-07-15T10:07:00.001-04:002009-07-15T10:15:57.204-04:00In the beginning....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyh15Mxotngy6KCH5bFz64ToR2GSDVN7K7ID57NyywEXtFTYhB883M51cZoK2RAxus0j-wVWpLW61gXZ-HDL1Lp7rXDQmR4PuM4Ah5N2g_o3reE8tgGNuHyosIa5J-3o5KoUeSZ-77AlE/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyh15Mxotngy6KCH5bFz64ToR2GSDVN7K7ID57NyywEXtFTYhB883M51cZoK2RAxus0j-wVWpLW61gXZ-HDL1Lp7rXDQmR4PuM4Ah5N2g_o3reE8tgGNuHyosIa5J-3o5KoUeSZ-77AlE/s200/EbayEtsy+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358690342353288050" border="0" /></a><br />For me, there is nothing like the start of a new project. Pattern perfectly printed on crisp white paper, brand new yarn that is still in its band. It's like paradise. So much so that I had to take a picture.<br /><br />As you will see to your left, last night I decided to tackle Little Cotton Rabbit's newest creation - the sweet garden hedgehog. The pattern is available on Ravelry for 95 pence...and the best part is proceeds go to a wildlife fund in the UK. All around good thing. If you haven't bumped across Little Cotton Rabbits blog, you are in for a treat! Not only is Julie a master toy knitter, she has patterns available and you will learn about her little slice of life in dealing with a severely autistic child. Her mood is always up and I enjoy popping in a few times a week.<br /><br />You can visit her here: http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/<br /><br />The hedgehog is taking place wonderfully! He's going to be so cute!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963944824292821055.post-40402485294490095362009-07-14T17:51:00.000-04:002009-07-14T18:17:34.439-04:00What and Who is Herbie Dog Digs?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFr1p297IBuj8lPDb_kgNvGG4eImJ_GLmrhvXWBrEsdva4nz_VM5AuG6n-5UNWy3UlmXylHaGUblI-WlQ3dIIvhF_DqjeYiBs4obTUhJ0e7piQA7gv-RkpIpIfkuTVN2P5krPgQledC7Gx/s1600-h/EbayEtsy+026.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFr1p297IBuj8lPDb_kgNvGG4eImJ_GLmrhvXWBrEsdva4nz_VM5AuG6n-5UNWy3UlmXylHaGUblI-WlQ3dIIvhF_DqjeYiBs4obTUhJ0e7piQA7gv-RkpIpIfkuTVN2P5krPgQledC7Gx/s200/EbayEtsy+026.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358442975885792722" border="0" /></a><br />When thinking about what to write in my very first blog, I felt compelled to explain the name.<br /><br />Herbie (aka Herbiedog) was an ornery Scottish terrier I owned when I met my husband. I have tons of stories about the hate/hate relationship between the two but I'll save that for another time. If you have seen the movie Marley and Me, know that I cried like a 3 year old at the end as the movie hit a little to close to home....<br /><br />Herbiedog lived many years ago but the name has always stuck with me. When we lived in Florida, his Lebanese vet used to call him Harvey and it still makes me giggle...because he used to talk to him like he would answer him..."How are you doing today, Harvey"....or when I frantically rushed him to the vet for eating three pounds of cat poo from the litter box of a friend with 5 or so cats, he wagged his finger at him and asked..."Harvey, why would you do such a thing"....I was almost gagging from both the thought of the doggie breath from the car ride, as well as stifling my laughter.<br /><br />Anyway, we've owned several dogs over the years with such grandiose names as Millie, Stitch and Oscar but Herbie was a special dog and the name - never to be repeated.<br /><br />Now digs - yes - the real Herbiedog loved to dig, as did every terrier I have ever owned. They were born for it. But digs - in the sense of this blog - serves as the hippie 70's term of "dig" ...aka Do you dig it man? Yes I do....<br /><br />So this Herbiedog Digs is about what I am into...which seems to change every day but my core "digging" is....<br /><br />*<span style="font-weight: bold;">Knitting</span> - mostly toys with an obsession with monkeys.<br />*<span style="font-weight: bold;">Embroidery</span> - not your grandma's - the new obsession with Doodle embroidery - love, love, love it<br />*<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quilting</span> - my newest passion since discovering the Moda charm packs and layer cakes. Could life get any simpler???<br />*<span style="font-weight: bold;">Crochet</span> - for blankies and such. Never been able to make anything wearable with this craft.<br />*<span style="font-weight: bold;">Jewelry making</span> - I mostly admire this from afar...have made a few things, invested a small fortune in beads but my attempts are amateur at best.<br />*and whatever else strikes me when on Etsy...ebay..shopping at Joann Fabrics or Michaels thinking, I SO could do this!<br /><br />By the way, the photo posted is our current canine inhabitants - <span style="font-style: italic;">Stitch and Oscar</span> - both miniature dachshundsAmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906623862253245194noreply@blogger.com0